TAILSSPIN COLLABORATESWITH HIGH SCHOOLVETERINARY SCIENCESUMMER CAMP

TailsSpin Pet Stuff, which hasstores in Georgia, recently pro-vided activities for and helpedkick off the annual summercamp for the Islands HighSchool Veterinary Science pro-gram. The camp is offered tothe surrounding middle schoolstudents of the city of Savannahand Chatham County.

TailsSpin Pet Stuff is a committed business partner to Islands High School’s Veterinary
Science program in Savannah,
Ga., assisting with opportunities
of growth and development. It
is one of the only two veterinary
science programs in Georgia.

“As a co-owner of TailsS-pin Pet Stuff, we truly feel andbelieve that it is our duty to besupportive with this wonder-ful group of students,” said JeffManley. “It’s a win-win opportu-nity for all involved.”The camp showcased interna-tionally known magician MarcDunston and the award-winningDisc Dog competition team Bor-der PAWtrol. Along with visitsto animal hospitals and the Oat-land Island Wildlife Refuge, thecamps are designed to providethe students with activities tohelp them decide if they want topursue a veterinary curriculumduring their high school years.Throughout the school cal-endar, TailsSpin Pet Stuff hashelped with fundraising effortsand arranging animal care relat-ed field trips. In addition, it pro-vides workshops involving petfood manufacturers, local animalhospitals, local veterinarians,trainers and other pet vendors.These efforts have enriched thestudents’ education and knowl-edge to present a better under-standing of the multibillion dol-lar pet industry.

TailsSpin Pet Stuff has
also encouraged the development of entrepreneurship
within the Island High School
student body, as part of the
school’s Future Farmers of
America program, by providing industry assistance
and feedback to classmates
producing pet treats. TailsSpin even arranged a “Shark
Tank”-like setting for students
to pitch their pet treat recipes.

STUDY FINDS PET OWNERSEXPERIENCE STRONGERNEIGHBORHOOD TIES

Pet owners report stronger
neighborhood social connections than nonpet owners, according to a recently
published study. Pet owners
were consistently more likely
to report social benefits such
as helpfulness, friendliness
and trust between neighbors.
The research adds strength to
claims that pet ownership is a
valuable and positive feature
in community and neighborhood life, according to its
authors.

“The notion that pets facil-itate the ‘glue’ that holds so-ciety together, or ‘social cap-ital,’ goes beyond the morecommonly investigated roleof pets as a social icebreaker,”said Dr. Lisa Wood, lead re-searcher. “We were interest-ed in the extent to which petsfacilitate social interactionsand create the ties that bindcommunities together.”The University of WesternAustralia study, published inSSM-Population Health, was